PARIS—Omega-3s are continuing to demonstrate how vital they are in our diet today. Researchers found omega-3 fatty acids reduced polyps, which are a precursor to cancer, in subjects prone to bowel cancer (Gut. 2010). Subjects, genetically mutated to prompt the development of polyps, were randomized to received either 2 g/d of a highly purified omega-3 (n=28) or a placebo (n=27). Six months later, subjects in the placebo group developed 10-percent more polyps and experienced a 17-percent increase in polyp size, while subjects in the omega-3 group experienced a 12-percent decrease in the number of polyps and a 12.5-percent decrease in polyp size. Overall, there was a 22-percent difference in the placebo group versus the treatment group in the number of polyps and a 30-percent in the size of polyps. Celebrex is common prescribed for patients prone to polyp development, but it has been linked to cardiovascular side effects; whereas researchers reported the omega-3 supplement was “well tolerated.”
